Torry pupils take part in national poetry event

15 September 2016

Torry Academy pupils showed their creative side today (Thursday 15 September) by taking part in a workshop with poet Anita Govan as part of a series of events in Scotland’s first National Youth Poetry Slam.

The pupils worked together in groups to create poetry with Anita’s help and presented their work to each other.

The session was one of several taking place across Scotland and a selection of budding poets taking part in the workshops will take part in semi-final Slams in Edinburgh (Thursday 29 September) and Stirling (Thursday 6 October). The final takes place in Inverclyde on Thursday 27 October.

The national event is the brainchild of Anita Govan and builds on her 11 years’ experience of delivering poetry slams. She said: “I am hugely excited about realising our dream of a Scottish Youth Poetry Slam. I started youth poetry slams more than 11 years ago and we have worked hard towards this goal. Over the years I have become convinced that it has huge value as a teaching tool, enabling young people to reflect, understand and negotiate the world around them. It gives them a voice and ‘the right to speak’, helping them to gain confidence and self-knowledge in a self-empowering way.”

Councillor Angela Taylor, Aberdeen City Council Education and Children’s Services Committee Convenor, said: “This is a great way for the pupils to learn and develop their creativity. The will be sharing their workshops with each other during the workshops and so keep up the great tradition of poetry in Scotland as communal storytelling. I hope the pupils continue to write poetry whether in competition or just for sharing with friends”